Bowstave or the like



sept. 23, 1941. H HM4 2,256,946

BowsTAvE 0R THE'LIKE Filed May 27, 193)v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept.23, 1941 UNITED STATES 'rer OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates generally to the production of bowstaves and thelike, and particularly to production of bowstaves from bamboo wood, andan important object of my invention is to provide arrangements of thecharacter indicated in a simple and more efficient manner, so as toproduce structurally and functionally superior bowstaves and the like.

Another important object of my invention is to provide alaminated bamboobowstave of the character indicated in which the laminations possess thenatural curve of the bamboo from which the lamination is cut, andwherein the laminations are tapered toward the opposite ends thereoffrom a middle point.

Other important objects and advantages of my invention will be apparentfrom a reading of the following description taken in connection with thedrawings, wherein for purposes of illustration I have set forthapreferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a general side elevational view showing a bowstave producedin accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is a left hand elevational view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an edge or side elevational View of one of the laminations.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of the outer side of a bamboostrip before conditioning to become a lamination in accordance with thepresent invention.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of a bamboo cane, exhibiting indotted lines the manner of separating a strip such as that shown inFigure 4 from the cane.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of Figure 5 showing the lines of separationof the strip.

Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional View taken through Figure 4 andshowing the pith of the strip still in place.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 showing the pith removed.

Figure 9 is a horizontal sectional view taken through Figure lapproximately on the line 9 9 and looking upwardly in the direction ofthe arrows and showing three laminations secured together.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 generally designatesa bow stave or the like in accordance with the present invention whichmay be composed of several laminations such as the laminationsdesignated by the letters a, b, and c which are glued together as shown.Each lamination is initially in the form of a strip S cut as a segmentas indicated in Figures 5 and 6 from the bamboo cane l, so as to havenaturally the curvature of the cane. As the strip is taken from the caneit has on its inner side the pith layer 8 which in accordance with thepresent invention is removed so that the strip assumes the form shown inFigure 8. The concave side `of the strip in the intermediate form shownin Figure 6 is then tapered from a middle point as indicated by thenumeral 9 in Figure 3 toward the opposite ends thereof so as to reach aminimum thickness at the end points -designated respectively by thenumerals I0 and ll. The series of strips such as the strips convertedinto laminations a, b and c are then nested together as indicated inFigure 9, the proper taper having been applied to each lamination, andthe laminations then glued together so as to form the bow stave.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire tolimit the application of my invention thereto, and any change or changesmay be made in the structure and arrangement of the parts, within thespirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having described the claimed as new is:

A method of making a laminated bowstave, said method consisting incutting a plurality of strips of the desired width and length from thewall of a bamboo cane whereby all of the strips have the same naturaltransverse curvature in cross section, then removing the pith layer onthe inner concave sides of the strips and dressing the convex outersides of the strips to smoothness,

invention, what l is then similarly tapering the side edges of thestrips toward the opposite ends thereof from the middle, then adhesivelysecuring the strips together in superimposed nested relation.

HOWARD HILL.

